Nearly 10,000 of the biggest donors to Republican candidates and causes across the country will probably receive a foreboding “warning” letter in the mail next week.

The letter is an opening shot across the bow from an unusual new outside political group on the left that is poised to engage in hardball tactics to prevent similar groups on the right from getting off the ground this fall.

Led by Tom Matzzie, a liberal political operative who has been involved with some prominent left-wing efforts in recent years, the newly formed nonprofit group, Accountable America, is planning to confront donors to conservative groups, hoping to create a chilling effect that will dry up contributions.

“We want to stop the Swift Boating before it gets off the ground,” said Mr. Matzzie, who described his effort as “going for the jugular.”

The warning letter is intended as a first step, alerting donors who might be considering giving to right-wing groups to a variety of potential dangers, including legal trouble, public exposure and watchdog groups digging through their lives.

Aside from being rebuked by McCain, some of the reasons I was given in June for the lack of any third-party activity were the more-intense regulations by the FEC and fear on the part of some donors and operatives of being tagged as racists.

Matzzie and Co. surely know this, hence the brassy warning volley.

But this also seems an attempt to ensure that liberals don't have to scramble to create or resurrect their own third-party outfits.

With both Obama and McCain making clear their dislike for outside groups, partisan allies have been sidelined.

Reader Comments (110)

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We have to have a 527, or a very vocal VP to keep up with the daily McCain attacks. He just slipped one past the country with this Paris Hilton BS. He puts Paris/Britney on the ad, and everyone focuses on that. Meanwhile he lies about Obama's tax plan, but we're too focused on the first half of the ad. It's too bad the public can't put together the pieces of Bush cutting taxes, creating budget deficits, prints money and issues bonds, devaluing the dollar, leading to higher gas and food prices for all. "No new taxes" and "tax cuts (rebates)" are taxes. It's the China/Japan credit card. Every American owes about $30,000. That's the sad part of the Iraq war, if it weren't for credit we wouldn't have done it. Imagine this administration saying we could put democracy in place in Iraq, but it will cost you each $30K cash, and more in inflationary prices. No one would have supported that.

That will just make the targeted people more likely to donate to third-party groups. Using the threats of lawsuits or painting people as racists are the tactics of Scientology (at best) or the Gestapo (at worst). And these "warnings" always backfire. God liberals are stupid. Whether you like it or not, Reverend Wright and Bill Ayers will be front and center in this election.

Mattzie the Nazi!!! Looks like the brown shirt ObamaNazis are at it again. Ralph Nader will be on the ballot in 45 states or more, maybe even 57.....More proof of what the Obama-Pelosi-Reid cabal have in store for America.

In the world of legalities - that is called - blackmail! The - Flim Flam Obamaman - supporters are really getting desperate! Could it be they see trouble for their anointed candidate? Can they see that the American people are discovering for themselves that he is indeed a - Flim Flam Obamaman?
Definition of "flim flam" by Merriam-Webster on-line: deception, fraud, double dealing.

Read about how McCain cheated on and abandoned his first wife for the much younger, super-wealth Cindy McCain:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1024927/The-wife-John-McCain-callously-left-behind.html

1203: they are warning them of having to pay lawyers to fight off a bunch of FEC complaints regardless of whether the FEC ever can sanction them... and lots of bad publicity (for them personally but, more importantly, for their business concerns) over any involvement with such groups and CF violations.

So they are trying to suppress free speech, a Constitutional right, by using threats? Sounds like a move towards Communism so I will expect to see a statement from the Obama campaign later today saying they approve of this group.

These donors are not politicians. What exactly are these groups threatening? This is ridiculous and reminiscent of how communist dictators operate by mobilizing private militias to intimidate ordinary citizens.

Can you imagine what's going to happen if the Stalist wing of the Dems and The One actually win this election?! Free speech will be stomped on, drowned out, snuffed out with anyone daring to criticize Barack Obama vilified as an infidel, and with consequences fit for infidels. I've seen the future throughout the Dem Primary watching how the Obama Cultists have attacked and bullied anyone daring to go against The One, hijacked caucuses, shut down anti-Obama blog sites, even sent "warning presents" to some bloggers working on exposing the "real Obama". It's been alarming and I can only imagine how bad it will be if these hard left radicals actually are drunk with the power of the Presidency.

I'm sick of these labels liberal and conservative. In my opinion Obama is the conservative, McCain is the radical. There's nothing conservative about these neo-Cons. Conservatives are supposed to look to the past and find policies that have been successful. Obama is looking back to the Clinton years, and taking the lessons from then. McCain is looking back on the Bush administration and taking the worst. Just like Bush looked back at Vietnam and adopted the worst of that era. That's radical. Cutting taxes and paying for spending by borrowing and printing more money, that's radical. If a citizen did that he'd be in jail. Finally, where can you go back and find a time when drilling for more oil has led to lower prices? Nope, that's not conservative either.

"I'm sick of these labels liberal and conservative. " Yeah Curtis take your head out of Obama's rear end long enough to actually listen to him and find out where he stands on things. then...Please...report back to everyone else.Inquiring minds want to know

barry hussein and his brown shirts, and they call republicans fascists?????!?!?!?!?!?!?!
older dems better wake up, your party, the party of roosevelt and truman, has been hijacked by radical che-worshiping commies. to save your party you must do as you did 28 years ago for reagan, and support mccain.
the real democratic party, the party of JFK, is dying, and the new kos-moveon-codepink crazies are now the center of a once great party.

I would think twice about doing it as it might be against Federal Election Law. Sending a letter to an individual and threatening them in a general way not to donate to a particular organization might be considered an attack on one's right to free association and free speech. Especially considering there is no known organization out there at this time. Each letter could be considered a criminal act. Not only that but remember what happened to Govenor Elliot Spitzer when he went after the the Republican Senate Majority Leader. Spitzer was right to do it but he ended up throwing rocks in glass houses and it looks like he will be the one who goes to jail. Tom Mattzzie is a hot head, who has worked on several failed operations and political organizations. The Obama campaign seems to have too many cooks cooking the soup with little or no control over them. They all have their own little aganedas. It's alright to say we don't want your help.

Too bad for the Dems they can't just shut down websites like the Chinese do
Posted By: Warren | August 08, 2008 at 12:54 P _____________________No the Dems just create groups like the Klan, who they created in the 20th century. NOW in the 21st Century the Democrat Party has created the NEW Klan............MoveOn.org. And this "hate" group is like poison in the bloodstream of this great nation.

Whoa it looks like the McCainiot Propaganda machine is in full force on this post....Are you trying to get a close seat at a campaign event or maybe the ever coveted autograph of his book? I have news for you you can go to a McBush event and get both of them if you just show up...
I think its totally pathetic that you would even show yourselves in public after the mess you created let alone slander Barack Obama...

SHOCKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...
Liberals are trying to silence those who disagree with THE ONE and his Lemmings?...
Say it ain't so!!!!????!!!...
The Libs are not only RACIST but now trying to silence those who disagree?...
WHAT?...
I thought you folks were FOR DISSENT?...
I thought THAT was PATRIOTIC?...
Friggin hypocrites...
Scared little hypocrites...
THE ONE is a mirage of hypocrisy and lies and you've ALL bought into it...
Now wonder Hillary's not going anywhere...

this is not a new political group. read your history. in the 1930's they were called brown shirts in germany.nowadays they are called liberal facists. they want to surpress fre speech like pelosi and reid in congress. wake up folks.

How did this group get the addresses and infor of these claimed top gop donors, its illigal to talke that infor from the FEC site, so what the republicans just handed over their list? This sounds like theie letter writing campaign allreadry borke the law.

It's getting easier and easier to spot the rabid republican trolls. If the post has no punctuation, no caps, no spelling, no logic, no sense.....
I guess they take 'Just Say No' to heart. 'Thanks', to Ms. Reagan.

this is probably the next logical step - many of the likely donors to the right wing groups are skittish about charges of racism, they need talking points they can use in polite company where their 'special words' don't work as well. Democrats should pound the republicans with all the code they've used in the recent past.

john smyth wrote.How did this group get the addresses and infor of these claimed top gop donors, its illigal to talke that infor from the FEC site,---------------------------------------------------you can find any donors in this site..http://www.opensecrets.org/

Intimidation almost always has the opposite effect. Leave it up to the Daily Kos and MoveOn.org crowd to do what McCain has trouble doing....rallying the base.
Nobody circles the wagons like the political right.

FINALLY .... I HOPE THE CONSERVATIVES KNOW WE'RE FIGHTNING THIS TIME ... IF THEY WANNA ASSINATE THE CHARACTER OF SEN OBAMA ... WE CAN PLAY THAT GAME TOO ... IM GLAD LIBERALS ARE FINALLY GETTING A BACKBONE

So, you're going to send letters to soccer moms telling them that contributing to a 527 could get her in legal trouble, or, worse, somebody could get out of hand and start harrassing her family or digging up dirt on her?
Keep it classy, guy. What a piece of sh-*-t.

It was liberal bloggers and my disgust with them that initiated me to give to Republicans and Causes I agree with. I will look for the liberal ememies list and I will know the most effective groups to give to. Take this as them doing our home work for us.

I think this is a good idea. Bascially people who are rich and have busines interests donated to these groups who smear have had the ability to spend money and hide behind these groups. Now this groups of dems are saying, "Hey go ahead and give money to these groups but if you do I will expose you to the public and people will see you for who you are." this could deture wealthy people who own business from investing into groups who will outright lie or use race against OBama. They arnt saying that you canot donate they are just saying that you can donate but be prepaired to be in the spotlight if you do.

Peter how is this stupid? People donate money to these groups in hopes that they would never get linked to these smear groups. Now this makes rich people rethink if they should donate money to these sleave group.

This is hilarious! Newsflash for you clueless libs: I certainly don't care if I'm "exposed" as a donor to conservative groups. And your "everyone opposed to Obama is a racist" spiel has worn out its welcome already, as evidenced by his sinking poll numbers.

Bring it on, and please, please, send one of the letters to me. I can't wait to show it to everyone I know and have a good laugh at how idiotic the Obama supporters are!

JA it may not affect you but if you own a company and you donate tens of thousands of dollars to these groups it could affect your job or your company. Stock holders and the general public might not like a CEO or business owner donateing to sleazy groups.

This is what worthless hacks like Jonathan Martin are writing about. Meanwhile the National Enquirer story about John Edwards fathering a ******* child with his mistress while his wife is dying of cancer, was completed ignored by the mainstream media. And now Edwards has been forced to admit the truth of the story and that he lied about it all along. No thanks to Politico who was COMPLETELY SILENT on this issue.

Posted By: | August 08, 2008 at 12:36 PM ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The only bigots I have seen raising their ugly heads are Democrats...............like you, and Wright, and Farrahkan, and Pfleger, and Obama

Excellent, these goons have have been a blight on the political landscape. 527 groups are supposed to be for legitimate special interest advocacy (e.g. the environment, lower taxes, solar power, etc.) These right-wing hate groups use them to launch unfounded smear campaigns like the Swift-boat libelists. For their ilk, hard-nosed tactics are perfectly appropriate.

Obama and his supporters have been trying to silence Hillary supporters since day one, crying racist to anyone who does not support him. He is trying to surpress a roll call vote at the convention for Hillary knowing it might derail his candidacy. He was successful in Illinios in silencing his opponents and thinks he can do it again. O yes, Obama does not like outside groups, like I do not like chocolate icecream. He is trying to ignore the proHillary groups like the PUMAs but they are still there and fighting for her 18 million supporters.

This proves my point: The left Wing Extremists are indeed much worse than the Right Wing Extremists. ' "going for the jugular? , warning letters, public exposure and watchdog groups digging through their lives' -- all these sound like tactics of a home-grown terror group.

JA it may not affect you but if you own a company and you donate tens of thousands of dollars to these groups it could affect your job or your company. Stock holders and the general public might not like a CEO or business owner donateing to sleazy groups.
Posted By: AdamND | August 08, 2008 at 03:25 PM

AdamND: I actually do own a company - three of them, in fact. And my husband and I have donated thousands of dollars to conservative candidates and groups this year, and not a single one of them is a "sleazy group", as you call them.

I certainly don't hide my conservative beliefs, and I have absolutely no problem with any customer or member of the public knowing about my contributions. We had a Mitt Romney yard sign in front of our business for months this spring, and a Mitt Romney bumper sticker on my company vehicle.

One thing I have learned after many years of being in business is that in general, liberals make bad customers (and employees) due to their inherent personality traits. So anyone who would be offended by my political contributions is not someone whose business we want anyway.

Typical liberal activity. They howl at the idea of "big brother" looking into their personal life, but now they take it a step further. This has long term and legal implications. It takes "partisanship" to a new level. And obama condones it. He refuses to condemn such activity. He won't comment and neither will his staff. Shameful!

Posted By: Michael Turner | August 08, 2008 at 03:43 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Obama had to defang MoveOn before he voted for the FISA bill to keep them from turning on him. The fun part of this is to watch these clowns eat their own. They turned on Libermann because he wasn't whacked out enough for them. They turned on Hillary because she wasn't enough of a Socialist. That left Obamba who had the whacked out socialistic background they were looking for. What a bunch of losers. Hopefully they will all move to San Francisco and name Comrade Pelosi their supreme leader for life.

Posted By: Michael Turner | August 08, 2008 at 03:43 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Obama had to defang MoveOn before he voted for the FISA bill to keep them from turning on him. The fun part of this is to watch these clowns eat their own. They turned on Libermann because he wasn't whacked out enough for them. They turned on Hillary because she wasn't enough of a Socialist. That left Obamba who had the whacked out socialistic background they were looking for. What a bunch of losers. Hopefully they will all move to San Francisco and name Comrade Pelosi their supreme leader for life.

I think this is a great. Anything that can help curtail the seemingly endless cycle of irrelevant distractions is welcome. Regardless of your political affinity, Dem or Rep., Liberal or conservative, the Nation needs to have an honest, earnest an in depth conversation regarding a number of serious issues. As citizens we need to reject the nonsense that comes from all sides -for the sake of the Nation, and our Children. Two wars, an economy teetering on the edge, the possibility of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, the emergence of China as a major power in the East, and the re-emergence of Russian expansionism in Europe, among other things.
We should ask ourselves why this back and forth between and McCain and Obama takes up so much attention?
While this was going on- Not One major TV news program covered (what should have been a major story) that skirmishes have erupted again between India and Pakistan on their borders - each lobbing artillery shells at each other India and Pakistan, both countries which have *existing* stockpiles of Nuclear weapons! You'd think we'd have heard a lot about it. But that wasn't the case. So I appeal to all those who may feel tempted to carry on the meaningless banter- whether they're from the Left or the Right- Can we really afford to be taking up time with this manure?

Does anyone wonder why Obama was friends with terrorist William Ayers? Threatening people's families and businesses is a page straight out of the WU handbook. These activists of the left are lunatics. I just got an email through You Tube saying that I should be run down by a truck. I know of a black woman who is in the army and was told she should be tied in a sack and dropped into a river. Obama supporters are scary.

I have a feeling that there is going to be blood shed this year. I am not voting for Obama and if anybody comes to my front door and threatens me I will call the police and it will be all over the news.

When are the Swift Boat type ads about McCain's incompetence in Military coming?
I am sure sure there will be a lot of dirt in his 600 Pages of Missing Navy Record.
This McCain is a Clown and Clowns should not have the right to contest elections.
I can't believe we got this guy as our candidate instead of Rudi or Mitt.

Posted By: JA | August 08, 2008 at 04:06 PM
******************************
Dear JA who owns 3 companies.
Please publish the name and location of your company. The word needs to be spread that you don't need any business who don't believe in the Politics.
If you have the guts , pls publish.
Otherwise , you just wasted my 20 seconds reading your junk post.

I have argued for quite some that these proto-fascists, royalist tories, religious nut-jobs should be outed, confronted, embarrassed ( if that is possible ), harrassed, annoyed, and generally revealed to be the anti-Constitutional, bigoted, enemies of America that they are.
The Republican Party has been hijacked by the WORST type of narcisstic nativists that could ever plague a society.
I tell these jerks off at every opportunity. I am not polite with extremist rectum rousers.
I applaud Tom Mattzie and his organisation.

JA is a fraud like rest of the righ wingers.
She has no guts to tell that she does not need the business of people who don't agree with her politics.
Let her go public and see how much business she gets.

I had this "neo-con/liberal argument he other day with my uncle and I must say I summed it all up very nicely...here it goes:
If given a vote (Nader not included) who would these people vote for...
Ahmedjinedad- Obama
Kim jung Il- Obama
Osama bin Laden- Obama
Castro- Obama
Hugo Chavez- Obama
Any socialist from China to S.America- Obama
Amarican Soldier- McCain (military traditionally votes 65% Repub)
Now the big question...who are you voting for???
The point being is that the POTUS has 1/3 power to get domestic agenda done...all just campaign promises for now but the brave men and women fighting for our freedom is who's side I am on...are you???

Any 'true' Liberal would be disgusted and appalled by an open effort at voter suppression and the silencing of speech. I guess all of those Liberals died a long time ago and all we have left are fascists, thugs, and racists in the Party. Great.

Is Michelle Obama the ugliest person you have ever seen? Probably...don't deny it.
No wonder poor Barky had Larry Sinclair go down on him and now the messiah is involved in a sexual relationship with his personal aid Nick ( Anal Sex, ******** etc).

As I read these "comments", it occurs to me to ask: Why can't liberals spell? Why can't liberals use proper punctuation? Why can't liberals put together a cogent sentence with focus and clarity? You'd think they all went to public schools run by socialist administrators and teachers. Nahhh.(They are, however, experts at putting a condom on a cucumber)
Suddenly, I'm feeling an irresistible urge to write a $1000 check to the RNC myself.

So Obama and the DNC machine combined with the chicago machine are stooping to the lowest levels of scum.
That does not surpise me about obama, he has nothing to run out but his popularity.
His Eliminator tactics have always been in the working. Doing evil, vile and maybe some illegal things like he learned in Chicago to gain the presidency.
He said to would do anything, By George I see he meant it.

Tigersfan: "527 groups are supposed to be for legitimate special interest advocacy (e.g. the environment, lower taxes, solar power, etc.)"
Now what? Have you already started to determine which laws apply to whom? Who decides which special interest advocacy is the legal one?
The Obamanites? Just go straight to sharia law, that's where you are headed. Admit it.

looks like I'm in the wrong thread to find some debate. I'd argue against some of these insane arguments, like because Castro would vote for Obama let's not vote for Obama... or that my head is up Obama's ass, when he's my second favorite candidate for POTUS (Ron Paul). But I don't feel like shoving s hit against the tide. Dan where are you?!?!

The entire Left has the collective intelligence of a bag of hammers. Ed-dards the womanizer, Obambi the rock star. Hillary the hater. Where will it end? November. Then the whining begins anew. Oh, by the way ....How is Nanny's book doing?

GO AHEAD AND TRY TO TURN THE HEAT UP. WE GOT A FEW TRICKS UP OUR SLEEVE TOO. ONE THAT COMES TO MIND IS THE FACT SOMEONE HAS FORGED OBAMA'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE USING HIS SISTER'S HAWAII BIRTH CERTIFICATE AS A TEMPLATE. TWO COMPUTER FORENSICS INVESTIGATORS WITH OVER 50 YEARS EXPERIENCE HAS STATED PUBLICLY THAT THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE IS A FAKE AND THEY HAVE PUT THEIR FINDINGS ON THE INTERNET AT TEXASDARLIN. GOOGLE THIS AS ONE WORD OR YOU GET SOMETHING ELSE YOU DONT WANT. SEE FOR YOURSELF HOW SOMEONE HAS ALTERED THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE THAT OBAMA HAS PROVIDED ON HIS WEBSITE. THE INVESTIGATORS FOUND OVER 100+ AREAS OF THAT DOCUMENT WAS POORLY FORGED AND YOU CAN SEE IT FOR YOURSELF. A OFFICAL COMPLAINT HAS BEEN FILED IN HAWAII FOR AN OFFICAL INVESTIGATION. IF THIS IS A FORGERY THEN OBAMA NEEDS TO RESIGN BECAUSE HE IS NOW A FELON FOR ALTERING AN OFFICAL DOCUMENT. WHY DO YOU THINK OBAMA WENT ON VACATION TO HAWAII. MAYBE HE IS GOING TO TRY TO FIX IT ,BUT THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG.

well, let me just copy this guys words....and paste it all over the internet....let America see what democrats are all about....there...done and done...thanks nazi swine...your words will go far in getting republicans elected for many years to come..

Holy cow, what powder-puff treatment of fascistic threats! "liberals to warn"???"brassy warning volley"???
They're threating to sue people and dig up dirt on them for exercising their right to political free speech (A right Democrats would love to take away, by the way, hence the renewed interest in the "fairness" doctrine)
Leftists are thugs no matter where you go, from Chavez' Venezuela to Mexican leftists who threatened to riot because they lost the election fair and square, to naziism, to fascism, to communism. It has always been and will always be those who want free goodies from the government who are the real fascists in society.
And your powder puff treatment of it is frightening in and of itself.
Meanwhile George McGovern is decrying some of his party's other thuggish behavior -- trying to take away the right of workers to a secret ballot so that unions can intimidate people into joining.
My God the Democrat party is frightening!

Like obama really has a chance to win... 8-10% of the people being polled won't have the 'sack' to vote for him when the curtain is pulled... maybe the dems shouldn't have picked the least qualified, most liberal senator of all time to be their candidate...

With Comrade Polosi there will not be much of a need for 527 conservative groups.
Never under estimate the ability of the libs to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with the own idiotic behavior.
I thought Obama was half white? Why is he always acting black?
Oh that is right, in his book he explained he had to reject his white side.......... guess the good revrend helped with training that white side out of him?
Now you want to see a ****ed off conservative 527 group... threaten them and their freedom to say what they want to!!!!!!!
This should be interesting to watch

Let's try this again from the beginning. First, everyone, from Hillary to Bill Clinton to Sandy "stuffed socks" Berger, to his own generals thought Saddam Hussein had WMD.Very well-documented. Was the war executed well? No, it wasn't. But Gen. Petraeus and the surge effort are having a huge effect in Iraq. A democratic Iraq changes the face of the middle east and the world, and it looks like it's starting to happen. Give McCain a little credit here. Second, the reason the swift boat vets were effective was because they were telling the truth. The truth has a way of resonating with most people. If Barack is afraid of the truth of his background coming out, just think what other truths he may try to conceal. John McCain is out there. Like him or hate him, his life is public property. Lastly, I think he could knock Obama's block off given the opportunity, despite his age.So go ahead, Accountable America, send out whatever you want. Real Americans can sense the hate in your effort and don't like it. It won't effect anything McCain does anyway. If this guy could survive over 5 years tortured as a POW, a stupid letter won't even register with him.

Led by Tom Matzzie, a liberal political operative- Politico..
LOU REPLY- Fat Tommy as we call him in the neighborhood is a MOVEON screwball.
SO NOW THAT I?VE EXpOSEd him, what?s he going to do. And Matzzie speaking of Nazi?s did your boss GEORGE SOROS ever tell you his story about surviving the holocaust by being a collaborator? -The official myth is that Soros was born to Jewish parents in Hungary and as a teenager was chased from his country by the invading Nazis. Like so many things about Mr. Soros, trivial impressions mislead. The truth was that in Budapest during 1944 George Soros led a double life. His father, a lawyer forged official papers to disguise the family?s Jewish heritage and saved themselves from the death camps. He had already sold off his property, so there was nothing for the Nazis to confiscate. During the Nazi occupation, German and Hungarian fascists rounded up some 300,000 Jews, as young George Soros posed as the Christian godson of an Hungarian official responsible for, unbelievable as it seems, expropriating Jewish property. The 14-year old accompanied his make believe godfather, helping to identify and expropriate the property of wealthy fellow Jews. So far from being a holocaust survivor, George Soros was instead a Nazi collaborator. And if any of you reading this post think its not true, check it out, as we say here in NYC. Hows that for a first shot ****** boy !